Page 934 - Week 03 - Tuesday, 20 March 2012
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This year in the Assembly we will have two examples of specific crime types that the Assembly will consider: firstly, repeat drink drivers; and, secondly, assaults against police. The Greens will take an evidence-based approach to each and will be guided by the evidence of what is most likely to work to reduce both of these specific problems. Regarding repeat drink drivers, I note the government intends to release an exposure draft of a bill to provide for the use of alcohol ignition interlocks to address repeat drink drivers.
Media reports from last year indicated that 30 per cent of drink drivers are repeat offenders. If the government had data to support that statistic, clearly this is an issue that the Assembly needs to spend time focusing on. If we are guided by the evidence on this issue, we need to be looking at a number of aspects. Firstly, we need to be preventing drink drivers from getting behind the wheel in the first place. I think this is where the interlocks come into play. Secondly, we need to be increasing the likelihood, for those who do get on the road, that they will get caught. This potentially goes to the number of random breath testing units.
An understandable response to repeat drink drivers will be to set heavier and heavier fines and prison sentences for repeat offenders. However, if we are honest with ourselves and take on board the evidence, harsher sentences will not deliver safer streets. It may make for a good headline, but it will not reduce the crime of drink driving.
Regarding assaults against police, I note that there are two bills currently before the JACS committee that deal with this issue. Each seeks to protect police from assaults. Without interfering with the work of the committee, I would like to reflect on a letter written to Mr Rattenbury by the Chief Police Officer on the issue. The CPO makes the comment:
The majority of assaults on police occur in a spontaneous manner, normally fuelled by alcohol and/or drugs or a heightened mood of aggression precipitated by an event pre-existing and unrelated to police attendance at the scene of the disturbance.
And further:
History has shown that crimes against the person, including assaults and homicides, are predominantly crimes of passion and even the existence of life, or capital, sentences for higher-end-crimes, does not necessarily provide a deterrent effect to the commission of these types of offences.
And further:
I have indicated I support the creation of a specific offence type for assaulting police. I believe this would be useful to collate statistical data and enable the implementation of remedial operational strategies. It is the latter which I think is the key to providing greater protection for frontline police from assaults.
Collecting relevant data will enable us to properly analyse assault trends and modify training and/or operational protocols in a manner which mitigates the risk of assault on police officers.
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